Of Flowers and Spirit-Warriors
by windheartyuki
Summary: Rayen Storm had lived in forks all her life. When she returns after a year of traveling will things be different? Will she continue to get along with her cousin Bella? Embry/Oc
1. Chapter 1

Love can be hard to wait for and hard to find. You can find it and ignore it, or find it and embrace it. You can either find the wrong one and think it's love, going through the heartbreak, or you can wait for love to find you, putting up your own walls. I once heard that you don't ever fall out of love, that you had just convinced yourself that it was love. I had never found love before, and I wasn't too worried about it. Though it would be nice to find love, I don't think now's the best time to rush into it. Not when disaster is in the air.

Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Rayen Storm, 'Rayen' meaning flower. Most pronounce it like 'Ryan' for some reason. My friends tend to call me Ray or Yen, some were even gutsy enough to call me Ray-Ray, quickly earning them a death glare. I hated being called that. I'm a redheaded paleface though I still hold a nice tan and I have blue/gray eyes, standing at 5'8, easily being taller than Bella and a good amount of boys.

I had just moved back to Forks a few months ago after being away for about a year. I heard that my cousin, Bella Swan came to move in with uncle Charlie a few months after I had left. I had gotten along with Bella well enough but I never pushed hard to hang out with her, preferring us each to do our own thing.  
I was currently getting ready for a 'welcome back' bonfire that my friends down at the res were throwing for me. I had known Billy and Jake for most of my life, having grown up so close to La Push. I threw on a red top with flowing sleeves, stopping a bit after my elbow, and a nice pair of dark blue jeans. I threw on a pair of black flip-flops and my favorite black leather jacket before brushing through my hair and putting it up in a ponytail.

I got on my black motorbike and rode down to first beach, having been excited to be at one of their bonfires like I had been as a kid. I took my hair down when I slowed to a stop at the parking lot, kicking the kickstand down and getting off. I walked over to the others and smiled, spotting Billy.

I pretended not to recognize him, squinting my eyes in fake confusion. "Hey, where's Billy? Maybe he's somewhere behind this old man right there." I looked around his shoulder as if searching for him, earning a chuckle from the man in questioning. "Oh there he is! _I thought you didn't show!" I grinned and hugged him, kissing his cheek. "I missed you Billy." He softly returned my hug. "I missed you too Rayen."_

I stood back up properly to look at everyone else, staying at Billy's side. I saw a tall guy walk up to me (though I was tall myself) and I pretended not to recognize him as he spoke. "Hey Rayen!" I squinted my eyes more. "I'm sorry I don't know any hot, tall people." He blinked. "It's me, Jake!" I blinked as well. "No way." He raised his voice a little as if trying to get me to believe him. "Yeah!"

I giggled and smiled, giving him a big hug, my arms going around his neck. "I missed you Jake." He returned my hug. "I missed you too." We soon pulled back from our hug and I looked around at everyone. "There sure are a lot of people here to welcome me back huh?" Jake stood beside me. "Of course. We all missed you." I smiled and looked at the face of each person there, my eyes stopping on Embry. He had changed, no longer having his almost shoulder-length hair and being taller himself, even having gained some muscle.

He grinned at me and a light blush graced my cheeks as I smiled in return. I had always had a crush on Embry, whether it had been small or big. It had always been there. It felt like now, that crush had grown even more. He chuckled, as if noticing my blush and I averted my gaze to look down at my feet. I then decided to slip my flip-flops off, setting them off to the side and enjoying the sand under my feet. Jake laughed. "Great to have you back." I nodded and then watched my feet in the sand as Jake walked over to the other guys, leaving me to myself.

I then noticed that the other guys were laughing as well and I blushed more, deciding then to go back over to Billy and the other elders to chat about my year away from home. Billy listened intently as I had described everything, seeming to enjoy my lively way of describing things as did Old Quil as well.

It was soon time for Billy to tell the tribe's legends and I took a seat on the log right behind Embry as he himself was sitting in the sand in front of me. His husky yet soft voice filled the air as he suddenly spoke to me, saying one simple word to set my blush ablaze once more. "Hi." I shyly smiled and replied. "Hey." He chuckled and I quickly shifted my gaze to the water. I softly bit my lower lip and breathed in and out slowly, not sure what he was chuckling about.

He seemed to have noticed and asked me something. "Are you okay?" I nodded. "Of course I am." I put on a sweet smile. "Just peachy keen." He chuckled once more. "Alright, whatever you say." I then turned back to Billy, soaking in the legends as he told them with such life and emotion.

I loved listening to Billy telling the legends and got soaked into them. I especially felt this when he started on Taha Aki and the Third wife. I felt eyes on me and looked to see Embry staring at me from his spot. I blushed as our eyes met. His jaw dropped, causing me to blush more as I felt an odd warm sensation in my heart as warm chocolate eyes met stormy blue ones. After a few minutes of him staring I got a little uncomfortable and looked back to Billy as he continued the story.

When he was done telling the legends, I let out a small and cute yawn. I stood up and smiled. "Thank you guys for tonight. I'm a little tired so I'm going to be heading home now." I gave Billy, Jake, Sam and Old Quil hugs before saying a quick good night to the rest receiving goodbyes in return, going back up to my bike. I put my hair back in my ponytail and got on my bike, riding home as I was unaware that a certain crush of mine who just so happened to be the only one that didn't say goodbye to me had watched me leave.

I arrived back home, stripping out of my clothes and brushing my teeth. I then pulled a night gown out of my drawer and slipped it on, lying down in bed. My thoughts were about that night, lingering on Embry as the darkness overtook me into a blissful sleep.


	2. New Room

I spent the next few days getting my clothes and what not re-situated. I had just gotten out of the shower, still wrapped up in a towel, having one draped over my shoulders. I looked around my room and thought for a minute. The carpet was plain beige and my walls were white. My comforter was black with rose patterns on it as was my pillow case.

I stood up and decided one thing, declaring it out loud, "That's it! I'm remodeling my room." I got dressed in a black tank top, throwing my leather jacket over it and putting on a pair of lighter blue jeans, throwing on black tennis shoes.

I stared at my phone for a minute, wondering if I should call someone to go to the store with me, preferably someone that had a truck or car instead of my motorcycle. I'd have to work on getting something like that. I stuck my wallet in my back pocket and stopped on Embry's number.

I blushed at the thought of him and then decided I might as well ask him. I pressed the call button and brought it up to my ear, somewhat surprised when he answered after only four rings. I said a polite 'hello' and then took a deep breath.

"I'm going to the store so get things to remodel my room. Do you want to go with me?" I hoped that my voice didn't hold too much excitement as I waited for his response.

He held excitement in his voice as well. Damn his voice sounds so sweet like that. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I shook my head and smiled. "Can you pick me up? It'd be easier with your truck instead of my bike."

For some reason I bit my bottom lip while awaiting his answer, "No problem, I'll be over in a few minutes." I agreed and walked outside, sitting on my porch swing.

He arrived after a few minutes and I got in his truck, strapping in, "Hi." He looked at me and smiled, "What's up?" I got comfy, resting my right arm out the window and my other arm beside my lap. "Just getting my things re-situated."

"Are you now?" His smile became brighter as he began to drive. "Yeah." I crossed my right leg over my left and relaxed as the wind blew on my hand that was out the window.

He hummed along to the music and I held back the flush trying to make its way to my cheeks while I enjoyed the sound of his soft yet strong voice. He soon parked at the store and cut the engine. He got to my side before I could open my door, and opened it for me. It was so sweet of him.

I held back another flush. Bad Rayen we do not think about Embry like that. "Thanks." I smiled and got out of the car, him shutting the door behind me. "No problem. What time do you need picked up?" I played with my hands, "I was hoping that you would maybe like to help me with picking things out."

"You sure? Alright." I put my hands in my pockets and he walked into the store. We started looking at paint samples so I could get rid of those boring white walls.

He looked over my shoulder, er well since he was taller than me I guess he looked over my head, "Which one are you looking for? " I shrugged. "No idea. I'm hoping once will just pop out and say 'choose me'." He chuckled, "We'll keep looking."

I nodded and looked over the colors. He took a palette with orange shades on it and made it dance around, pretending his voice belonged to it, "Choose me." I giggled and playfully smacked his other arm, "Embry." I pouted and crossed my arms.

He grinned and slung an arm over my shoulder, making a light flush work its way onto my cheeks, "I like that color though. I'll use that one then." He made me wait there, insisting that he would get the paint cans and carry them. He offered me his free hand and I looked at it for a few seconds before grabbing it and continuing to walk.

I ended up getting a fuzzy green carpet and decided I would stop the redesign at that. He offered to help me put the carpet in and I accepted. That's how I ended up sitting on my windowsill while watching Embry put the carpet in.

I watched his muscles flex when he reached out for something and I blushed. Damn he looked hot like that. I mentally scolded myself again. Bad Rayen, I said no. He soon finished with the carpet and I jumped down from the window, my feet landing on the soft fuzz.

I smiled, "Thanks for helping me put this in." He nodded, "It was no problem." I then covered the entire floor with a sheet and tied my hair up in a ponytail, "You sticking around for painting?" He nodded and we then painted the walls. At the end a little bit of paint got onto my nose and he whipped it off, causing a flush to creep onto my cheeks.

He chuckled at this and I smirked, smearing a bit of paint on my hand onto his left cheek. Bad idea. We started a paint war, ending in us both being covered in it while we had laughing fits. Thankfully the sheet was thick and covered the entire floor, so the carpet was fine.

I grabbed a shower and put fresh clothes on. "You can use my shower if you want. Although paint is totally your thing, I doubt you want to wear it." He chuckled and nodded, "It looks better on you though." I lightly blushed and he went up to the shower.

I started on dinner and decided to make some for both of us. He walked downstairs and smiled, "I smell food." I nodded, a wooden spoon in my hand, "Yes you do but that doesn't exactly mean that you're getting any." He pouted and suddenly I was scooped up into a big bear hug, "Please can I eat with you?"

I giggled and placed a playful kiss on his nose, "I like the begging but you're getting some anyways." He set me down and we ate, soon after we popped in a movie and it was getting late. He softly kissed my left cheek as we stood at the door, "Night."

I would have bet that at that moment I looked like a strawberry or a tomato, nodding in response. He went to his truck and I placed a hand on my cheek where he kissed me. I shut and locked the door behind me, going upstairs and going to bed. The Embry Call had kissed MY cheek. What a day.


	3. School

_**Alright guys, posting 3 chapters so quickly, I know. But I'm excited to get things picking up. I would appreciate it if I get reviews so you'll enjoy the fic more.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. If I did own it, there would be no Bella or she would have died when she dove off the cliff or something along those lines. That is all **_

As a few days flew by the dreaded thing came up that no teen I know has ever been excited for, School. Thankfully I was in the same year as Embry, Jake and Quil. So I wasn't too worried about not knowing anyone. I decided to go to school on the res instead of in Forks considering I don't really socialize with the people in forks and my friends are on the res, not there.

I haven't talked to Bella yet. But Charlie told me that her boyfriend just left her and she's been screaming at night and acting like a zombie. I'd have to visit her soon. I'd say 'poor girl' but she needs to learn to not rely on boys so much like they're the only things that matter. I mean, what about Charlie? What about school?

I sighed and got on my bike, driving to school. I went to the office and got my schedule, then going to my locker and popping it open. While I was almost done putting my stuff in, Quil and Jake walked up to me. I was surprised when I found out about Embry not hanging out with them anymore. We all said our hellos and it turned out that I had half of my classes with Quil and the other half with Jake.

I walked to my first class, English, with Quil. I stared out the window for the majority of the class, having already known the content that they were covering. Quil tapped my shoulder when class was over and I put my things back in my bag, heading to my next class with Jake, math.

It sucked having two boring classes in a row but I dealt with it the best that I could. Jake got lazy at one point and started copying my paper and let me tell you, it didn't go unnoticed by me. I looked over at him and flicked his nose.

He let out a small 'ow' and held his nose, "What was that for?" I smirked, "For copying my work." I then went back to the problem I was working on, my smirk growing into a smile as Jake continued to copy.

At lunch time I sat with Quil and Jake, nibbling on an apple as I for some reason didn't seem to be too hungry at the moment. The boys were arguing over something quite silly. Quil slammed his hand on the table, "Anne Hathaway!" Jake then slammed his hand down as well, "Kate Hudson!"

I set my apple down and slammed my forehead onto the table, holding in a chuckle and instead let out a groan. They both looked at me and I quickly snapped my head up, causing their eyes to humorously widen.

I pointed to Quil, "One, Anne Hathaway is indeed gorgeous and talented but she was not in 'How to lose a guy in 10 days'," I then whipped my head to look at Jake, pointing my finger at him as well, keeping my left one pointing at Quil, "And two, Kate Hudson is hilarious and pretty but she did not stage a transformation in Princess Diaries."

I triumphantly rested one arm under my chest and went back to nibbling on my apple. They soon began their argument again but I tuned it out. I scanned my eyes around the cafeteria only for my eyes to land on the 'hall monitors on steroids'.

They were Sam Uley, Jared Cameron, Paul Lahote, and Embry Call. I took a minute to think. Jake used to like Sam and Sam seems to be the leader out of the four. Embry left Jake's friend group for Sam's. So, I sighed, so then Jake hates Sam.

I caught Embry looking at me and averted my gaze, tuning back into the argument between Quil and Jake yet still in thought. How could Embry do that to his two best friends, especially to go to the one that they hate?

I sighed and then jumped into their argument, turning it into a new subject and conversation. Soon the bell rang and I stood up at the same time that Embry did, our eyes locking. Jake noticed and got a little bit jealous, which in turn did not go unnoticed by Quil. Jacob locked eyes with Embry, his gaze breaking from mine.

Next thing I knew Jake was placing his right hand on me, his fingers wrapping around my waist and the palm of his hand resting on the small of my back, "Come on Rayen we have art." I felt a flush rise up into my cheeks and I shyly nodded. Quil walked a little bit behind us, also having art.

We got to play with clay so my mood brightened a little bit. Quil's clay slipped and a little landed on the back of my hand. I raised an eyebrow and swiped my hand in my clay, getting some on his arm. He went to put some on mine but he missed and got Jake's right arm instead.

Jake got some right on his face and Quil did the same back, them both getting some on their cheeks. We all had a small laughing fit and the teacher looked at us and smiled, liking to see her students having fun with art. Quil then got some clay on my left cheek and Jake placed his right hand on my cheek while speaking, "Let me get that," then swiping the clay away, earning a light blush to my cheeks as he wiped it off.

Our eyes locked and he started inching his head closer to mine, our lips especially inching closer. His hand resting on my cheek resulted in leaving some clay in a hand print on my cheek. So before our lips could get any closer I swiped some on his nose and giggled, all while thinking with panic and surprise in my head. Did Jake and I almost kiss?! Not that I wouldn't mind. I mentally scolded myself and spoke, "Gotcha." Quil busted out laughing at our interrupted kiss and even Jacob let out a small chuckle.

We got back to work and soon the school day was over. I said goodbye to both of my boys, not noticing Sam's gang's eyes on me. Jake gave me a quick hug, "You take it easy Rayen." I nodded and smiled. "I will." I then got on my bike and drove off.

When I got home I started on what little homework I had while nibbling on some Cheeto's. I soon got done and sighed, putting my things back into my school bag and going into my bathroom to shower. After wards I laid my towel down onto my pillow and went to sleep thinking over how the day had been.

Why did Jacob almost kiss me? And why did he seem so jealous. I sighed and felt a light blush creep onto my cheeks as my head hit the pillow and I fell asleep.

**So what'd you think huh? *waggles my eyebrows* a little jealous Jake to shake things up. Tell me what you think and if things should develop with Jake or not.**


	4. Double Beauty, Small Town

_**Alright guys this chapter is a team up with my older sister. I hope you guys like it**_

The week went by rather quickly and before I knew it, it was Friday. After I left school I got into some comfy clothes and relaxed on my bed. I pondered on whether or not if I should go to the gym and then have my best friend sleep over afterwards.

I jumped up and put on some shorts and a tank top, secured my phone in a side pocket and grabbed my keys. I put a change of clothes in my gym bag, slung it over my shoulder and let it hang behind me. I walked a brisk mile to the rec center on the res, loosely contemplating my position on the way. Things were changing; my friends were different – the guys at least. There was a foreign underpinning in the way they treated me. Jacob's jealousy, Embry's closeness, almost kissing them both… Not only was it creating tension between us all, it was making me feel unlike myself, and that was the worst thing.

When I pushed through the locker room door the cloud of uneasiness that hung around me vanished into a crisp atmosphere of familiarity and purpose. This was my first trip to the gym since I got back two weeks ago, and my whole body was excited at the opportunity for release. The positive energy I was experiencing doubled at the sight of Laekin, best friend and workout-buddy extraordinaire. I jogged up to her, grinning so conspicuously that she couldn't help but laugh.

I called out in a sing-song voice, "Lae~kin," prancing forward in a comical manner, and scooped her up into a huge bear hug. My voice lapsed back to a more normal tone, "I missed you." She laughed and hugged me back. "It's only been a few hours you nut," she retorted in good humor. I set her down from the few inches that she was up off of the floor and set my bag down. "Oh, what kind of nut am I?" I asked as I grabbed a bottle of water and started off to a different area to stretch. She lagged behind a second, pondering playfully. "A cashew I think," she said after a minute, and gently punched my arm as she caught up.

We rolled out our yoga mats and started to stretch. Standing toe touch, downward dog… "Crowds getting pretty thin around here," Laekin commented, "being between gym seasons and all. By now everyone's given up on their beach bodies, and we've got a solid 5 months before the New Year's resolutioneers pour in." She smiled as we transitioned to plank pose. "Thank goodness," I laughed. "Maybe we'll actually be able to use some equipment."

We kept up our banter for a few minutes, thoroughly amused with the asinine claims we made. It was never crowded here – not by our standards, at least. We'd both lived in the city before, a connective element between us, and reveled in the stark contrasts between that and small town life. Cobra, tree pose, "airplane," dancer's pose, warrior…

Once we were done with yoga I popped up from my stance and quickly rolled the mat up. The atmosphere felt clear and calm for me from doing such relaxing things. Laekin popped up a few seconds later and we put our mats away. I wrapped my hands up in the protective wear and started to use the punching bag. My mind wandered, and the air once again turned dull and thick as my thoughts landed on Embry and Jake. It caused me to swing at the bag harder, catching Laekin's attention. "What's wrong girl?" she asked with a tone of affection that took the edge off of my sudden anger.

I kept punching without looking at her, needing to find my release. "It's Jake and Embry," I started. "They've been acting so weird lately," I swung a sharper jab at the bag with my right hand. "Jake and I used to be great friends and Embry, well he was more of an acquaintance until now, but anyway they didn't treat me all soft and shit because I'm a girl. And now they're both acting like they like me. Which would be fine but I think they're fighting over me," I landed another good hit as a bead of sweat rolled down my brow, and smiled at the thought of how conceited I must have sounded to anyone who didn't know me. "How so?" Laekin asked.

"Okay, so Embry kissed my cheek after he was done re-modeling my room with me and Jacob almost kissed me in art class." I was still throwing punches and was starting to feel out of breath. "And before that, at lunch, I'm not sure if you were looking but Jake saw me and Embry look at each other, then Embry saw him, and I swear they had a goddamn stand off for a minute. I didn't even say anything because I was so flustered at first, then Jake led me out of the lunch room like he was protecting me."

I stopped and took a drink of my water, trying to clear my head, and sighed. I leaned back against the wall and slid down. "And they say girls are the dramatic ones. What happened to when we were all just friends?"

"Well it sort of makes sense, believe it or not," Laekin explained, sitting next to me while she got ready to start on the bag. "You know that Jake and Embry were always close. At the beginning of the summer, he (Embry) started acting really weird. He would get angry and distant when he was with us, and then all of the sudden he stopped coming around. He practically disappeared for a week, and then we saw him with Sam and "the gang" on the beach. He looked so different… not even just that he chopped his hair off, his whole form had changed – his posture, I mean. He looked really confident and strong…" she trailed off. "Jake really took it hard. You know how afraid they were of Sam, and out of the blue his best friend jumps ship, not to be heard from since." I looked at her, wondering what could have possibly caused this. Seeing that I was in a state of distress, she changed the subject. "Anyway, about their new-found obsession with you: you left for a year, changed yourself, came back twice as pretty to a town that almost never changes. How could they resist?" She smiled good-naturedly and stood up.

That was a lot to take in. So it wasn't just me, they _were_ acting crazy. By the time we finished our workouts I felt infinitely better. We walked back to my place, and the sun finally dropped below the horizon. I'd have to remind myself never to go this long between one-on-one times with my closest friend ever again. We stopped at the store for the necessary sleepover provisions. We raced each other down the aisle like children and stopped in front of the ice-cream freezers. I grabbed mint chocolate chip and she grabbed a big bucket that had strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla in it. We spent a good amount of the night chatting about this and that, a happy atmosphere surrounding us. I was moving my pillow and it slipped out of my grip, flying into her face.

The pillow dropped and revealed a menacing look. I squeaked and jumped off of the bed, covering my face with my hands. She smirked, "It really would be a shame if something happened to that sweet face of yours." I smiled and grabbed my own pillow, "You'd better bring it then, 'cause I'll beat your ass like a tribal drum!" We dodged each other all around the room, jumping and rolling over the bed at times. Soon the sheets were on the floor and we were laughed until our faces were red. No Jake and Embry confusion and no worrying. It was the most fun I had since I got back, and for once today I felt like things were normal again.


	5. Stuck Like Glue

**I did get the title idea while listening to the song 'Stuck Like Glue'. So there will be a friendly bond with Quil. No romance with him because Quil is simply Quil.**

It came to be Monday and like usual I went to English with Quil. I kept my face straight but my mind was racing. The boring atmosphere of school around me had now turned even duller with a hint of uneasiness. Would things ever be normal with my boys again? I sighed and set my pencil down, propping my right arm up and resting my forehead in my hand, some of my hair being pushed back in the process.

Quil noticed this and placed a hand on my shoulder with a concerned look on his face. Since he didn't want the teacher to catch us talking, he wrote down what he wanted to say on his paper instead, pointing to it so I would read it, "_Are you alright?" _I mustered up a sad excuse for a smile and hoped he would buy it. He didn't. I decided that it wouldn't hurt to tell Quil what was going on – maybe he could help me make sense of everything. So I grabbed my own paper and eagerly scribbled, "_No. Have you noticed the way Jake and Embry have been acting?"_

He glanced at me sympathetically and wrote, "_Yeah I did. It's been this way since Embry bailed."_

Reminded about Laekin's rehashing of the events earlier in the summer I asked him outright: _"What happened?" _He wrote that he didn't know, but the tentative expression on his face made me wonder how true that was. _"Any guesses?" _ I pressed. _"No guesses, just legends."_

Legends... Once again I was left with more questions than answers. The lunch bell rang, and I was filled with anxiety as I tried to think of things to talk about with Jake. Quil and I met him in the hall on our way to the cafeteria. Luckily for me, he started chatting immediately.

I only said things when I absolutely needed to, my mind clouding with a thick haze of questions. Quil seemed to have noticed my distracted state and kept Jake busy in conversation over his Rabbit that he was working on. I shot him a grateful smile. When we all went to go get lunch I decided to sit with a few more of my girlfriends instead.

I decided I would see how Jake and Embry would react about it. They both looked at me like lost puppies and I felt a little bad but that disappeared when Alyssa choked on her chocolate milk while Zoey was telling a joke.

Alyssa ended up red faced on her russet skin and she slowly swallowed her drink. We all laughed so hard that we fell out of our chairs, our faces turning red from laughter. Quil noticed what happened and began laughing as well. Laekin and I held onto each other for support as we got back into our chairs as Zoey and Alyssa did the same. We held onto our stomachs that hurt from our humor as we got a few strange looks from people.

We wiped the tears from our eyes and sighed. I then began to talk to them about Jake and Embry. Both of their mouths dropped and Laekin smirked. I knitted my eyebrows together and crossed my arms, giving them a stern look as their jaws came back up, and their shocked expressions into smirks, "Now don't go getting any ideas ladies. I can handle this on my own."

They both pouted and spoke in unison, "Aww alright." I smirked triumphantly and folded my hands together in front of me on the table, "Anyhow, I'm curious to find out how they'll react by the fact that I'm not jumping at them. My plan is to avoid them and act like it's no big deal. I'm hoping it will help to clear some of my confusion of the situation and shed some much needed light on the subject." I nodded in conclusion and Zoey looked at me in awe, "Wow Ray that's a great idea."

Soon lunch was finished and alas, I had art with both Quil and Jake. I stuck with my plan. I would not seem eager or very affected when Jake talked to or acknowledged me. I only talked when I need to and thankfully I think Quil got the gist of what I was doing. We were sketching animals today so I decided to draw one of my favorite ones, a wolf. Once I was done I set my pencil down and looked over it once more. Pleased with myself, I used my peripherals to pay attention to Jakes behavior. He would sometimes take quick glances at me, most likely checking me out or checking to see if I had bothered to truly look at him yet.

After school I got on my bike and went home. I didn't live with either of my parents, only my dog, Jag. He was a blue tick hound and my little ray of sunshine. My parents were always on business trips so I rarely got to see them. I gave Jag some food and fresh water and scratched behind his ears. I then patted the top of his head and went upstairs, changing into basketball shorts and a tank top. I did what little homework I had and then the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs to answer it, Jag seeming to be excited about whoever was on the other side of the door.

I opened it and was surprised when on the other side was none other than Jacob Ephraim Black. My jaw mentally dropped. '_So much for my plan of avoidance_' He flashed that dashing smile of his and opened his arms for a hug, "Hey there. Can I get a hug?" I rolled my eyes playfully and walked into them, engulfed into his embrace, "No, you can't." He chuckled and we both went into the living room. I sat down on the couch and he sat down on my left, sitting closer than he had to considering we had so much couch space.

He nervously scratched the back of his neck and looked as if he was trying to figure something out. I decided that we didn't need an awkward silence so I spoke to lighten the atmosphere before it got any thicker or else it might feel like this conversation would have been like trudging through knee-high mud, "So what gives me the honor of having your company tonight?" He snapped his gaze back to me and sheepishly smiled. _'Since when did Jacob ever get shy like that?'_ He then spoke, sounding the slightest bit nervous, "I wanted to ask you something," I nodded and motioned my hand in an encouraging manner, causing him to smile a little brighter, "Would you- Rayen would you," He paused then continued, "Would you go out on a date with me?"

I tried to stop a light flush from coming to my cheeks but failed as the atmosphere got thick but not mud thick. I sheepishly smiled and decided that I needed to answer. I didn't want to leave the poor boy hanging. It takes a lot of courage to ask someone out or even to admit that you like them so I truly commended him on that. '_But Jacob Black as in THE Jacob Black asking me out_?'I let out a small breath that I hadn't even noticed I was holding and spoke, "Jake," I saw him snap his full attention to me and noticed that he seemed to be eager for my answer, "Yes I will go out on a date with you."

He seemed relieved as he had a light blush on his russet cheeks. His sheepish smile turned into a huge grin as he pulled me into a bear hug. I giggled, "Jake- Can't breathe." He set me down and scratched the back of his neck, "Sorry." I looked at the clock and sighed, "Jake it's pretty late. You should probably head home soon. What day and time would work for you?" He thought for a moment, "Friday at 6:00?" I smiled and nodded, "Sounds great." He hesitated for a moment and shyly kissed my cheek, causing the flush on my cheeks to grow more as he spoke, "Great, I'll see you later then." He then left and I watched as he pulled out and drove off.

I placed a hand on the cheek that he kissed me on, in a slightly dazed state. I still couldn't fully grasp that my boys suddenly looked at me that way. I sighed happily and went up to my room, curling up in my bed, snuggling under the blankets. I suppose that since avoiding them only seemed to get Jake closer that we were stuck like glue. Wait, that's a song by Sugarland, I like that song. I hummed a few bars and yawned, falling into the sweet thing known as sleep.


	6. Pre-date Jitters

_**Alright guys we're moving towards our date scene now. I would appreciate it if someone reviewed. Anyway, enjoy.**_

The week seemed to go by quickly yet slowly at the same time. I was nervous yet excited for Friday's date. Jake seemed to be so too. At times when we were walking through the hallways our hands would bump or even our arms would brush against one another's. On Thursday the girls tried to press information out of me but I held strong. They were all pouty even Laekin, "Aww come on Rayen tell us," Alyssa pouted further, "What are you keeping from us?" I shook my head and smirked, "No. I'm not telling any of you after all, freedom of speech."

Laekin smirked and crossed her arms in defeat, "Alright girls. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out after it happens and she's ready to tell us then." Alyssa and Zoey sighed in defeat and then hung their heads as if not knowing was the worst thing in the world. I looked over at Jacob for a moment and caught his gaze. We both flashed a quick smile then went back to our conversations. I looked over and Embry and noticed he seemed a little troubled, also noticing that he must have seen Jake and I's brief contact.

The girls started chatting about what they were doing Friday, "I'm sleeping over at Zoey's," Alyssa spoke cheerfully, "We're getting ice-cream and a few movies." Laekin nodded in approval, "I'm visiting my grandparents and spending the night. I'll most likely be back Saturday night," She then looked at me, "If you want Rayen you can come up Saturday or Friday night after you're done with whatever the hell you're doing." I nodded and smiled, "Of course. I love those two. They're just so sweet." The bell then rang and I stood at the same time that Jake and Quil did. I smiled and walked up to them, hooking my left arm through Jake's right and my right arm through Quil's left, causing both boys to laugh with me. We then began walking to art class.

I spoke up as we walked, remembering that since the girls discussed their weekend that maybe my boys would like to as well, "So any plans this weekend going on?" Jake spoke up next, "Well dad and Charlie are going fishing so I'll have the house to myself for the whole weekend." Quil looked in thought for a moment, "Well I didn't really have anything planned out but I was wondering, Jake would want to work on the rabbit?" Jake looked over at him and nodded, "Sure." Quil smiled, "So what are your plans Rayen?" I thought about what to say for a moment, "I'll do what I usually do when you two work on the rabbit. I'll tag along and maybe even help out," Quil and Jake both opened their mouths to speak but I cut them off, "And don't worry, I'll handle the food."

They both smiled and said their thanks. I giggled, "No problem."I pondered as we walked into class if Quil had any idea about tomorrow's date. I mentally shrugged it off, deciding that if Jake wanted him to find out that he would. We all sat down and the teacher began to tell us what we would do, "Today we're going to be working with partners. You will both share one sheet of poster paper and each partner will use half of that page," She began to pace the room with a smile, seeming to be excited about this lesson, "Now on that half, you're going to draw things that you think symbolizes your partner or what symbolizes the way you might feel towards them."

She then began to pair people off while handing papers out. Quil got paired with some random girl and low and behold, who would have guessed, I was paired with Jake. She gave us a knowing smile as we both held a small blush on our cheeks. We were both right handed but Jake knew that I like to pivot my arm around when I draw so he decided to sit on my right side at an angle. We then began drawing, my arm blocking his view of my side of the paper.

I doodled various cute hearts in a girly manner and giggled, earning a questioning look from Quil. I peeked over at Jake and noticed that he was deep in thought. After that I started to take the assignment seriously. There were so many sides to him that were endearing to me, but how could I represent them with symbols? I considered the side of him that was connected to nature. To represent that, I placed a beach and water below the hearts, making them act as stars in the sky with smoke from a bonfire rising up into it. I put a full moon up and a small hill on the side, putting a silhouette of a wolf on it. Finally as a finishing touch I placed a dream catcher near the fire in the sand. I placed my pencil down when I was done, keeping my arm blocking my side.

When the teacher finally told us to reveal our drawings to our partner, my stomach felt knotted. Even though I knew for certain that he liked me, I didn't know what to expect. How did he really see me? What he'd drawn was a sort of abstract and delicate feminine figure seated in a canoe that rested peacefully on calm water. One of her hands dipped tentatively into the silky lake, creating small ripples from her touch. The image was done in brown and gray-blue tones, except for the figure's hair, which was a vibrant red-orange. The figure struck me as beautiful, serene, curious, and assured.

When I turned my head to read Jake's reaction he was already looking at me. His eyes were gentle and probing. We shared the same sense of wonder and awe, and for a moment we just looked at each other. I felt an understanding pass between us unlike anything I'd experienced before. The teacher interrupted us by assigning a prompt to write a paragraph about what the other person had drawn and what we thought it meant.

We then broke eye contact to stare down at our papers. Neither of us wrote anything for what felt like a long time. I imagined that, like me, he was too caught up in what he was feeling to form a coherent explanation of what the images represented, and that his feelings couldn't be expressed in words. I stole a glance at his side and was damn near pouting as I rapidly tapped my pencil on my knee, trying desperately to think of what to write. My mind felt empty. I picked up my pencil and rested my hand on the paper, staring intensely at it. I pictured being able to burn holes into it with my gaze. I began to write. Soon I was done and the teacher then spoke to end the class, "Alright now you can't read what your partner wrote until these are hung up. Class is dismissed."

Before I knew it the day was over and I said my goodbye to my friends. As I drove my bike down the winding back roads home, excitement welled in my chest and I smiled as I thought of my date tomorrow with Jake. I shook off my helmet and bag, kicked off my shoes, and walked straight to my closet. I thrust open the doors and stared at my clothes intensely, as if what I was going to wear more than 24 hours from then was of the most immediate importance. I quickly skimmed through everything, feeling rather dissatisfied, until one thing stuck out at me with its glowing attraction. Yes this will do. I smiled and set it out, changed into my pajamas, and bounded down the stairs feeling light as a feather.

I gave Jag his food and made myself a simple dinner, being a little bit too worn out from the day to try something too fancy. As I ate, my mind raced over what the date would be like. What would we do? Would things be easy and natural like our friendship had always been, or would we be different?

I had never actually been on a date before. I didn't know if Jake had either, so I could understand if he was nervous as well. I let Jag lick the plate off before I put the dishes in the sink and went upstairs. I brushed my teeth and hair, and twirled a strand of hair around my finger in the mirror, debating on whether I should do anything special with it tomorrow. I then walked back into my bedroom and slipped into bed. I patted the bed and Jag jumped up, lying on my shins. I giggled and got comfy while listening to the sounds from outside. I soon fell asleep despite my still racing mind. Tomorrow I would be going on an actual date. Tomorrow would be something new.


	7. Of dates and laughs

_**Guys I am so sorry that it took this long to update. I've had a major writer's block. I'd like to give a quick shout out to the one anonymous person that reviewed; I thank you for your motivation.**_

The school day didn't go by fast enough for me, and to my delight it didn't seem like it was fast enough for Jacob either. I continuously tapped my right heel against the ground – almost afraid that by the end of the day it would look like it had been swapped with a body builder's. In art class we kept exchanging glances and laughing. I was so nervous. It was hard to tell exactly how he felt, but I could see excitement in his eyes.

I sprung like a rabbit from my bike after pulling up into the driveway and ran into the house. I put the CD player in the bathroom and threw in a CD I put together of the parody songs done by Team Four Star and LittleKuriboh who did Dragon Ball Z abridged and Yu-Gi-Oh abridged. I figured I needed a good laugh to wind down as I got ready.

I quickly stripped down and turned the water on, getting into the shower. I began to sing along to my music as I washed my hair. I put the conditioner in and shaved my legs and arms. Once I was done with that I rinsed my hair out, the room smelling like blackberry and vanilla along with a hint of strawberry. I wrapped a towel around my body and put my hair in another. I then walked out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.

I opened my closet and pulled my outfit out, laying it out on my bed. I let my hair out of its towel after a few minutes of relaxing and sighed. I carelessly picked out a sports bra and a pair of boy-shorts cut underwear, not bothering to make them match considering they wouldn't be revealed. I threw on a pair of dark blue boot cut jeans and black mid-calf boots over them. They had a small heel and a cute buckle on the top. I pulled on a green racerback tank top and my favorite leather jacket and looked in the mirror. _Not bad, Sweet Baby Ray. Not bad at all._

I walked downstairs and drank a glass of water before tying my hair back into a low ponytail and tucking my Final Fantasy X wallet in my back pocket. I threw on a pair of sunglasses and sat on the porch swing to wait for Jake. He soon pulled up in his dad's black truck. I smiled and stood up as he waited for me. I walked down the porch steps, more and more aware of my heart pounding out of my chest. I opened the door and climbed into the passenger's side. "Hey," I said, grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat.

He smiled back, clearly amused, "Hey." He pulled out onto the main road and rested his right hand on the center console. I took in his appearance. He was wearing a maroon colored t-shirt and light blue jeans with brown hiking boots. He was so handsome and natural. I fancied that I was being pretty sly as I checked him out, but he caught me and I laughed. As he looked at me from the corner of his eye, his expression changed from playfully haughty to sincere, "You look really pretty Rayen." My cheeks warmed and my fingertips tingled. I smiled, "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself Jake." We both chuckled and I looked at his hand on the center console.

Should I hold it? I was feeling surprisingly brave and increasingly confident, but decided to see how the night went before I made my move so to speak. "So where are we going?" I asked him, curious as to where he could be taking me since we weren't going towards the city. "You'll see." We chatted a little along the way, and finally pulled up to a small diner just outside of the res. It was nestled into the edge of the woods and was surrounded by a small clearing adorned with walk-through flower gardens. "My mom used to bring me here for brunch every Sunday," Jake explained as we parked. "We used to sit and talk in the gardens. This is one of the few places I feel truly at home." I grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently as I smiled and looked into his eyes. He squeezed my hand back, let it go, and ran around to my side of the truck.

He bowed dramatically and held his hand out to me, "Shall we?" he peeked up at me and grinned. I took his hand and we walked into the diner. He held the door and let me walk in first, "Why thank you Mr. Black." He chuckled, "You're very welcome." We took a seat at one of the booths (sitting closely side-by-side) and I started looking over the menu. "What's good here?" I asked him, and immediately wondered if that was a rude question, possibly implying that there were things on the menu I should avoid… _Crap_. I sorta held my breath for a second. But he didn't seem to mind. He put his left arm around my shoulder and held my hand (which propped up the right side of the menu) with the other. "Hmmm…" he began, almost in my ear. His closeness and warmth and the sound of his voice were damn near overwhelming. "We should start with dessert," he mused. I laughed and agreed, "Does strawberry cheesecake sound good to you?" _Please say yes, that's my shiiiit._ "Yeah, sounds perfect," he said. _Score._

We told jokes as we shared that little slice of heaven on a plate and I sipped my mint tea. At one point – I kid you not – I did a spit take. In real life. The best part was that some dripped out of my nose as I tried to swallow back what was left in my mouth. And then I choked on my own laughter as we sopped up the mess on the table. Thank goodness Jake was beside and not across from me. I definitely dodged a bullet with that one. Our waitress, who Jake had evidently known since childhood, laughed good-naturedly as she washed the table. Anyway, I don't regret it. We proceeded to order dinner. We each got burgers – mine was Western style and his was a bacon classic. The conversation eventually took a turn for the intellectual, and we discussed books we'd read and ones we wanted to, documentaries we had seen, and our encounters with people and nature.

"I watched a talk recently that explained the way arguments are presented in terms of how effective they are at eliciting the desired response." I grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen out of my bag. I drew a small circle surrounded by two increasingly larger ones. In the center circle was the word _Why,_ in the second circle, the word _How_, and in the largest circle, _What. _"See, most often we form our arguments this way: from the outside in. But people don't care what you're selling; they care why you're selling it. So to form an effective argument one must start with why they're doing something, or why they believe a certain way, and then move out to how it is accomplished and what they want their listener to do. And I just thought that made so much sense, I feel like an idiot for not realizing it on my own," I laughed, nervous and excited to see how he would respond.

"Wow," Jake replied, tentatively soaking in what I had said. "That's probably why 9/10 of the essays I write at school are total garbage. Halfway through I always ask myself: why would anyone care about this?" He laughed. "Right?" I said, "I've never considered myself a convincing person and there's the reason why." _Oops_. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to talk about yourself negatively on a date. _Change the subject, change the subject…_ "I really like that you know things like that. Wait," he said, closing his eyes and taking both of my hands in his. "I'm having a moment of clairvoyance." He traced his thumbs along my palms. "Yes, yes. It's all written, on your hands and in the stars. You, Rayen Storm, are going places in life. I see success, travel, and adventure." He opened his eyes, acting sort of confused as if he had just awoke from sleeping, and we both burst out laughing.

After eating with chit chat involved we got back into the truck. Jake had decided he would take me somewhere after the diner. Since his hand was holding mine and the other was on the wheel he asked me if I could turn the music on, "Sure." I nodded and turned it on. It turned out that he had a Florida Georgia Line CD in. We both began to sing along to the music, any tension in the air slipping out of the open windows of the truck. He drove back into the res and kept on driving. He pulled up to the parking lot of first beach and opened my door for me. I thanked him and stepped out.

I left my boots with my socks in them in the truck, deciding I wanted to feel the sand under my feet. We rejoined our hands together and began to walk. I looked at him with a smile on my face, "I'm thinking of moving down onto the res when I'm eighteen. I like it much better than Forks. I mean come on, not only is it the city but it's named after cutlery." He laughed at my comment and looked at me thoughtfully, "I think you'll need to get a better tan first," he joked, and I pretended to be offended. "But really, I think we'd all like it if you lived here too Ray-kins." My eyes widened for a split second before I busted out laughing, Jake's laugh soon followed. We held onto each other for support and soon stopped laughing.

We stopped by a piece of drift wood and sat down on it. Jake rested our hands on his right knee and we stared out at the water as the sun was nearly completely set and the moon shone brightly in the sky. I sighed contently and pulled my legs up beside me, leaning against him. We talked softly under the blanket of the night sky and he ran his fingers through my hair. I couldn't imagine a better feeling. Then, he paused and gently, sweetly pulled my face towards him. Our lips met and I felt a warmth rush through my veins. He pulled back and cradled my face in his hands. "We'd better get you home," he said. Even though I lived in the guest house, almost totally separate from my parents, I had a curfew. "You're probably right," I sighed and stood up. We held hands as we walked along the beach and back to the truck. I curled up on the seat and nearly fell asleep.

Before I knew it we were back at my place. Jake walked me to my door. I could see my mom and dad watching us from the kitchen window of the main house. "I had a really amazing time, Jake. Tonight was perfect." His face lit up and he smiled like he'd just won the lottery. "Me too, Ray. I'm guessing this means you won't object to going out again some time?" I laughed, "Absolutely not." I would have kissed him, but aware of my parents' eyes on us I simply hugged him and opened my door. "Good night," I said, almost at a whisper. "Good night, Rayen."

I went inside and practically collapsed onto my bed. Nothing could disturb the happiness I was feeling. I woke up the next morning with my clothes still on, and briefly wondered if it had all been a dream. I stretched and laughed with joy as I peeled myself up from the bed. I checked my messages: one from Laekin, one from Jake. I opened Laekin's first. _Based on the fact that you haven't texted me yet I'm guessing your night was fabulous? CALL ME ASAP, I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING! 3 _I couldn't help smiling. I dialed her number and spilled all the details. She screamed and awed appropriately. "And he texted me this morning… OH MY GOD I HAVEN'T READ IT YET!" I said, and hastily opened the message and read it aloud. "_Come down to the res today? We're working on the Rabbit, you should help out. Maybe we could do something after? I can't stop thinking about you_... Oh my gosh, Laek, I'm dying over here," I gushed. "Can you come with me?" "I dunno, let me think about…" she teased, "YES, give me like 20 minutes." We hung up the phone and I got ready. I was gulping down the last of my cereal-flavored milk when Laekin arrived. "It's open!" I yelled. She practically tackled me out of excitement and we started out the door.


	8. Got Grease?

_**Guys I really do appreciate it when you review so please do. Feedback helps a lot. I'm testing out a new spacing and I need to know which one you like better. This one or the one I used before.**_

I climbed into the passenger seat of Laekin's car and rolled down the window. She turned on the radio and tuned it to a country station – my favorite. I jammed to the song that was on and then spoke, "I'm excited to see Jake again even though it's only been, what, 14 hours?" She giggled capriciously, "You are just too cute!" I drew my face into a cheesy scowl and lowered my voice, "Laek-and-Bake, I'm not cute." She laughed breathlessly and had to wipe her eyes, "You're right, you're grotesque. The first time I met you I thought there was a Star Wars parade at school and you were Jabba the Hutt. There's no way you could turn that around." I laughed so hard that stomach started to hurt. "You're killing me!" I shouted. "I'll kill both of us if we keep this up, I'm practically crying," she said, scanning the road. We calmed down and I looked out my window. We were almost to the res. My heartbeat was climbing steadily, and I breathed deeply in an effort to slow it. Laekin saw me and grabbed my hand. "You'll be fine, sweetie," she soothed me, "I'll be close by the whole time to do a little redirection if things start to head south."

I put my free hand out the window and giggled as the wind hit it forcefully. Before I knew it we were just one street away from the Black residence and my heart felt like it was going to fly out of my ribcage, "Laekin do I look okay?" She laughed some more and nodded, using a funny voice to exclaim, "You look gawgeous darling!"

We pulled into the driveway and Laekin cut the engine. Before I could even step out of the car Jake was already out of his house. I held back a blush and stepped out right when he got to the car. Quil came out of the house a moment later and looked to Laekin with excitement. She started walking his way but he ran to her and hugged her. That was… new. As they walked towards the house, Laekin looked back at me, confused but exhilarated. I smiled and turned to Jake, opening my mouth to speak.

Before I could say anything I was pulled into a bear hug, and his sweet voice filled the air, "I missed you chica." I giggled and hugged him around his middle, "I missed you too." He pulled back from our embrace, looked me in the eyes, and shyly looked away. He took my left hand and we joined Quil and Laekin in the house. They were sitting at the kitchen table chatting (intimately, I fancied). I stood beside Jake as he leaned on the door way, "So I didn't forget that I promised to handle the food. I'll get things together now but you can't eat it until later on."

Both boys' eyes lit up at the mention of my cooking and they agreed. "Now guys can get started and we'll meet you out there in a little while." Jake kissed my cheek when we thought the other two weren't looking and I playfully pushed his shoulder, "Oh stop it you." He smiled and pulled me into a tight hug, "I'll stop when you're no longer beautiful; and I don't think that's going to happen." I deeply blushed and he let go of me. Quil awed jokingly along with Laekin. I realized that he had his arm around her, and I looked at her significantly. He drew back from her, though it was clear he didn't want to leave, and he and Jake went into the garage.

I looked in the fridge and pulled out some beef. I turned to Laekin and using a Scottish accent said, "Well lassie it looks like we'll be havin' old Bessie in our bellies today." She laughed and we bantered back and forth in our broken accents, clinging to tables and chairs to keep from collapsing to the ground. "Okay, okay," I said, regaining composure. I stared at the meat, "So what are we gonna do with this?" We bounced a few ideas back and forth, digging through the fridge and cupboards for inspiration. I pulled the bacon out and an idea went off like a light in my head_. Perfect! _I turned to Laekin, "We should make burgers with the bacon in the patty." Her mouth watered, "Let's do it."

We chopped the bacon, spiced the meat, and formed a dozen neat patties on a tray. I set them in the fridge so that the flavors would marinate together and Laekin washed off the table. Then we walked over to the garage and stood in the doorway, watching the guys work for a minute before walking in. I looked over Jake's shoulder, my cheek lightly brushing against his, "Miss me?" Laekin giggled and I smirked upon seeing a blush on his russet cheeks. "Maybe," he teased.

I leaned over to look at the engine, standing on the left of Jake as Quil was to the right. We all felt the adrenaline of fixing up this car and dove into working on it. Laekin's eyes widened in amazement as we started discussing the car in technical detail. She shook her head with amusement, "Weirdos." I turned my head and stuck my tongue out at her while shaking my butt in a taunting manner. She pulled her left bottom eyelid down while sticking her tongue out in response. We had forgotten Jake and Quil were in the room but were reminded of their presence by their laughing. We both lightly blushed and made exaggerated faces of horror before laughing with them.

"Laek, come over here," Quil beckoned. "Okay," she said, sitting next to him on the bench, "so what can I do to help?" Quil smiled, and handed her the tool he was using. Guiding her hands, he patiently explained how to do different tasks. It was funny to watch, but the way they interacted was so natural and sweet I couldn't help but beam at them.

After about five hours of diligent work our noses, cheeks, hands, and clothes were covered with grease. We each wiped our foreheads with the back of our hands, leaving a little bit of grease on our foreheads. Laekin scrunched up her nose, "You guys are so dirty," she laughed. She had taken special care to keep clean, having not worn throw-away clothes. Quil went to hug her and she squealed, running away. While they ran around the garage I turned to Jacob, "I'll let you use the shower first if you don't take forever." He chuckled, "Thanks a ton. I'm flattered to have permission to use my own shower." I raised the wrench that was still in my hand like a woman would raise her rolling pin while baking in the kitchen, "Admit it, you appreciate me keeping the order."

He nodded and put his hands up, "You're right. I surrender." I patted his head like one would do to their dog and used that silly voice used to talk to them, "Aww, who's a good boy?!" He shooed my hand away with a mock angry look on his face before it broke into a smile, "I am!" Quil and Laekin had stopped to watch our scene unfold and were visibly amused. His shirt was off and he had wiped his face and hands relatively clean with it, clearly for Laekin's benefit. We were all talking for a moment when I noticed that he had slyly maneuvered his hand around her waist. Suddenly, he tossed her over his shoulder, earning a rather loud squeak. We all laughed as he carried her across the yard to the porch.

I turned and walked towards the house with Jacob following and stepped out of my shoes. He did the same and suddenly his shirt was in my hands. I felt my jaw drop and a red blush appear on my cheeks. He winked and laughed upon seeing my eyes on his muscles before walking down the hallway and through a door, out of view.

I closed my mouth and rolled my eyes, calling after him receiving a laugh, "Jerk!" Laekin grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table. Quil didn't sit down, not wanting to get anything greasy. I stood in the doorway, "So. What do we have here? Is that," I sniffed, "Attraction in the air?" I noticed both of their cheeks visibly darken at my comment, causing me to smirk, _Well Snoop Doggy dog._ "So who wants to tell me when this started happening? Quil, perhaps?" I paced around the two (including the table) and stopped to look at Quil.

He laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his neck and looked at her, "Well, you see- "I cut him off, "No sugar coating or beating around the bush. Spit it out man I wanna know!" He kept on rubbing the back of his neck while he spoke again, "I've liked her for a long time-" "Yes, go on!" I shouted playfully. "Hey," Laekin interjected, "take it easy on my shiny new boyfriend." My jaw dropped with surprise and I could have screamed with elation, but instead I smirked slyly as I waggled my eyebrows, "Well then," I started as I heard the bathroom door open and Jake appeared in clean clothes, "have fun you two." I smiled at Jake and ventured into his room to borrow some clothes. Basketball shorts and t-shirt in hand, I made my way to the bathroom.

I stripped off the greasy clothes and turned the water on, adjusting it and stepping in. I looked around the shower and saw that there was a "Garnier Fructis" bottle and I smirked. _So that's what Jacob uses. No wonder his hair is so nice._ I washed my hair diligently, making sure to rinse all of the grease out. The only available soap was "Irish Spring," but I liked the scent anyways, so it didn't bother me. When I was done I dressed and looked in the mirror. _Damn I'm fly. _I worked my hair up into a ponytail and headed back into the kitchen.

I grabbed a glass of water and drank it slowly as I listened to the conversation going on between my three amigos. We planned a double date for next Friday and ate dinner. Soon afterwards Laekin drove home, Quil going soon after. Jake ended up sitting on the couch, having light chit-chat while sipping hot cocoa. I had a blanket draped over my shoulders with my legs up beside me. I looked at the clock and sighed, "I should probably head home soon. Do you mind dropping me off? I don't want to walk when it's dark."

He nodded and flashed a grin, "Of course I can." We finished our drinks and set our cups in the sink. I folded the blanket up and put it back in the closet. We put our shoes back on and went out to the truck. He revved up the engine and I strapped in, lightly yawning, "Tired?" I looked over at him, "Yeah I guess so." He then pulled out of the driveway and I stared at the sky and the blurred scenery passing by us or what little the moon light and headlights would provide for us to see. I played with a strand of my hair to keep myself occupied and soon enough we were pulling into the driveway between the main house and the guest house.

I turned to look at Jake and he spoke, "I'll walk you to your door." I nodded and smiled, "Alright." He cut the engine and we both got out of the car, walking up to the front door of the guest house. I looked to the window to see Jag jumping up to look through it. Jake followed my gaze and we both chuckled. We then turned our gazes back to each other, this time no parents watching us. I spoke up, "So I'll see you on Monday then." He nodded, "Yeah." He breathed in and went in for a kiss, stopping when our lips were centimeters apart before pulling back a bit, shyly hesitating in a cute manner before I moved my lips to meet his in a sweet good night kiss.

I then placed my hand on the door handle after unlocking it, "Good night Jake." He smiled and hugged me, "Night Ray-Kins." He walked back to the truck and I walked inside. I closed the door and let out an excited squeal, causing Jag to bark and wag his tail, "Oh Rotis (one of his many nicknames) that was such a wonderful day." I drank a glass of water before going upstairs, brushing my hair, and hopping into bed, still wearing Jake's clothes. I sighed deeply and contently before going out like a light.

_**So guys, I hope you like what I have planned for the next chapter. We'll have a surprise Point of View so be sure to tune in and read it.**_


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